Disappointed

Derrick Rucker

Original poster
Member
Apr 23, 2016
145
Tennessee
hey guys so yesterday my father in law in his Nissan Xterra, and my two buddies they are brothers and they were in a Dodge Ram and me went and did a little off-roading and for some reason my TB just had a terrible day. The first mud hole I went through she sunk and for some reason in 4lo and 4h only the front wheels were spinning while I was stuck in the hole so I had to be pulled out by my father in laws Xterra which it's bone stock and ran right through it. I have been off-roading many times with this TB and everyone always brags on the strength it has but I don't know if me and my girl was just having a bad day in the mud or what. I've got the video footage from it I'll post links up
 
Last edited:

Derrick Rucker

Original poster
Member
Apr 23, 2016
145
Tennessee
This is the footage from my buddies channel where he recorded me getting stuck it's just a couple minutes into the video

And here is a link to footage on my channel if you guys want to see some more of what we did
 

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
Only fronts spinning? Weird...
 

littleblazer

Member
Jul 6, 2014
9,265
Thought trailblazers didn't do well in mud because they're heavy... if only the fronts were spinning you may have a pretty big issue I'd imagine...
 
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SnowBlazer

Member
Jun 9, 2014
5,775
Colorado Springs
Could be a faulty encoder motor actuator. My Dorman which was installed by Chevy in December of 2015 and it died in August of this past year. It would take and say that it was in 4x4 at times and it would really be in 2wd. Other times the selector switch would just flash nonstop. I ended up just picking up one from an 05 at the junk yard. So far so good!!
 

Derrick Rucker

Original poster
Member
Apr 23, 2016
145
Tennessee
I'm wondering if, it wasn't just where my rear end was sunk because today I started messing around with it and put it in 4wd and I can feel all the wheels pulling
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
Thought trailblazers didn't do well in mud because they're heavy... if only the fronts were spinning you may have a pretty big issue I'd imagine...

They really are not heavy compared to the vehicles he was out with. They are bout same weight as anything else the same size. I have honestly never heard anyone say in all these years that the weight was the issue with these and mud. Curious where you got that thinking?

Could be a faulty encoder motor actuator. My Dorman which was installed by Chevy in December of 2015 and it died in August of this past year. It would take and say that it was in 4x4 at times and it would really be in 2wd. Other times the selector switch would just flash nonstop. I ended up just picking up one from an 05 at the junk yard. So far so good!!

The encoder would not affect the rear drive. Nor would switch.

I'm wondering if, it wasn't just where my rear end was sunk because today I started messing around with it and put it in 4wd and I can feel all the wheels pulling

I am really curious how the front only spun. I cant see your videos at work, but will take a look when I can. Can you jack up the truck and se what is engaging? For the rear to not work it seems it would take a serious mechanical failure.
 
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northcreek

Member
Jan 15, 2012
3,307
WNY
You never mentioned if you have a LS differential.
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
LS makes lil difference if neither tire on the rear was digging.
 

littleblazer

Member
Jul 6, 2014
9,265
They really are not heavy compared to the vehicles he was out with. They are bout same weight as anything else the same size. I have honestly never heard anyone say in all these years that the weight was the issue with these and mud. Curious where you got that thinking?

Thought I read it somewhere on here a long time ago. I don't browse the offroad sections much so I could very well be wrong. I guess it makes sense though. I just recall people saying these weren't great in mud. Idk I'll go back under my rock now.
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
Ok. Just wondered where the misinformation was coming from. We all can recall things differently.

I am not a big mud fan but it took thigh deep shit to stick mine back in the day
It started out good and shit flying


Then I high centered on some ruts in the deeper shit and bout had to swim to hook the winch


But it certainly did not disappoint being as you can see all the suspension is hanging for the mud hole to actually stop it.
 

littleblazer

Member
Jul 6, 2014
9,265
It was more than likely during my study hall period in highschool, so I was more than half asleep.

I never really understood the mud appeal being honest. It's pretty much all people do here. Or go "off road" and climb hills I more than likely could do otherwise stock. It really does amuse me how much the definition gets thrown around here and how little there actually is nearby.
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
Same way with all the big farm trucks that "offroad" by me. They dont even realize that airing down the tires makes a difference. They do not know that 3 inches of mud on the top of field and spinning a few donuts is not wheeling. They do think that crossing the foot deep creek is hot shit. But whatever...it takes all kinds.
 

Derrick Rucker

Original poster
Member
Apr 23, 2016
145
Tennessee
I am really curious how the front only spun. I cant see your videos at work, but will take a look when I can. Can you jack up the truck and se what is engaging? For the rear to not work it seems it would take a serious mechanical failure.
I'll have to check it out this weekend, if you look at the first video it shows where I got stuck
 

dkvasnicka

Member
Jul 24, 2015
366
Czech republic, Europe
I was trying to watch the video closely and I believe your right rear wheel was spinning freely (submerged but not touching anything remotely firm? ...I think I saw water movement confirming this) and thus your left rear was out because it was bogged down by mud and you have an open diff. Thoughts?

That would mean everything is OK, especially if you tested it later and could feel all 4 wheels grabbing.
 

TollKeeper

Supporting Donor
Member
Dec 3, 2011
8,039
Brighton, CO
That looks ugly. How are hose clamps used is an LSD?
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
I watched it on the phone. Was odd for sure. Seeing how the rubber at the passenger door was ripped free I wonder if the tire was lodged into the sheetmetal and not turning cause of that. However in that scenario, something had to give...either in the rearend or in the TC cause with the front end spinning the rear should have been.


I do think the clamp in the diff should be fine though. Just use water instead of diff oil so they can function in the thinner liquid better.
 
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smt 59

Member
I watched it on the phone. Was odd for sure. Seeing how the rubber at the passenger door was ripped free I wonder if the tire was lodged into the sheetmetal and not turning cause of that. However in that scenario, something had to give...either in the rearend or in the TC cause with the front end spinning the rear should have been.


I do think the clamp in the diff should be fine though. Just use water instead of diff oil so they can function in the thinner liquid better.

Add a little sugar to it as well, it will make it sound sweet!!!
 

northcreek

Member
Jan 15, 2012
3,307
WNY
HOSE CLAMPS! .....is there nothing they can't do?
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
If you duct tape the cover on--it will be indestructible!
 

littleblazer

Member
Jul 6, 2014
9,265
There needs to be one zip tie involved for it to be perfect.
 
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HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
Weld it up

diff-fail.jpg
 

northcreek

Member
Jan 15, 2012
3,307
WNY
AAAAHHHHHH :undecided:....makes sense now :duh:
 

Big B Jantzen

Member
Aug 9, 2016
58
Enid, OK
I was trying to watch the video closely and I believe your right rear wheel was spinning freely (submerged but not touching anything remotely firm? ...I think I saw water movement confirming this) and thus your left rear was out because it was bogged down by mud and you have an open diff. Thoughts?

That would mean everything is OK, especially if you tested it later and could feel all 4 wheels grabbing.

Yes I got the same conclusion. Open diffs, you got spin on left front and right rear(under water). Same thing mine does going up a sand dune hill. Clearance is your issue I think, frame on ground and the beast is very tame.

Oh and yes air down is so valuable. I go "duning" at 35 psi and I can't do all the hills I can do when aired down to just 28 psi, world of difference.
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
I debated staying at 25 psi for a bit of ground clearance vs the typical 15 psi i run in the woods and found that at 25 PSI I lost enough traction it was not worth any possible ground clearance help. I can see the opposite helping in the dunes as long as not too high of pressure causing a large reduction in footprint and flotation.
 

Moore

Member
Sep 8, 2016
42
Oregon
I watched part of the video. Looked like fun. Was not the right rear under power at first as it entered the mud hole. Wonder if there was just something under the vehicle. Lifted the left rear alittle and the right was spinning unseen. I would have tried backing alittle and go foreword again, if vehicle stopped, turn steering wheel left and right to help grab some traction before getting a tow strap out. Sometimes that's all it takes. Sometimes it takes a tow strap.
 

Nexus1155

Member
Jan 26, 2012
141
Oh the back looked like it was moving alright, just on the passenger side. Do you not have your swaybar removed in the rear? The car would not still be moving if the rear diff grenaded.
 

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